To understand characteristics of biogeochemical corrosion for the metal canisters that usually contain the radioactive wastes for a long-term period below the ground, some metal materials consisting of cast iron and copper were reacted for 3 months with D. desulfuricans, a sulfate-reducing bacterium, under a reducing condition. During the experiment, concentrations of dissolved metal ions were periodically measured, and then metal specimen and surface secondary products were examined using the electron microscopy to know the chemical and mineralogical changes of the original metal samples. The metal corrosion was not noticeable at the absence of D. desulfuricans, but it was relatively greater at the presence of the bacterium. In our experiment, darkish metal sulfides such as mackinawite and copper sulfide were the final products of biogeochemical metal corrosion, and they were easily scaled off the original specimen and suspended as colloids. For the copper specimen, in particular, there appeared an accelerated corrosion of copper in the presence of dissolved iron and bacteria in solution, probably due to a weakening of copper-copper binding caused by a growth of other phase, iron sulfide, on the copper surface.

Arsenic contamination may be brought about by a variety of natural and anthropogenic causes. Among diverse naturally-occurring chemical speciations of arsenic, trivalent (As(III), arsenite) and pentavalent (As(V), arsenate) forms have been reported to be the most predominant ones. It has been well known that the behavior of arsenic is chiefly affected by aluminum, iron, and manganese oxides. For this reason, this study was initiated to evaluate the applicability of manganese slag (Mn-slag) containing high level of Mn, Si, and Ca as an efficient sorbent of arsenic. The main properties of Mn-slag as a sorbent were investigated and the sorption of each arsenic species onto Mn-slag was characterized from the aspects of equilibrium as well as kinetics. The specific surface area and point of zero salt effect (PZSE) of Mn-slag were measured to be and 7.73, respectively. The results of equilibrium experiments conducted at pH 4, 7 and 10 suggest that the sorbed amount of As(V) was relatively higher than that of As(III), indicating the higher affinity of As(V) onto Mn-slag. As a result of combined effect of pH-dependent chemical speciations of arsenic as well as charge characteristics of Mn-slag surface, the sorption maxima were observed at pH 4 for As(V) and pH 7 for As(III). The sorption of both arsenic species reached equilibrium within 3 h and fitting of the experimental results to various kinetic models shows that the pseudo-second-order and parabolic models are most appropriate to simulate the system of this study.

We analyzed 29 surface sediment samples in five submarine volcanoes (TA12, TA19, TA22, TA25, and TA26) located in the southern part of the Tonga arc for trace elements and rare earth elements to investigate characteristics of the hydrothermal alteration of surface sediments. Based on analytical results of trace element and rare earth element (REE), surface sediments of TA12, TA19, and TA22 submarine volcanoes, which are located in the northern part of the study area, were very little or not influenced by hydrothermal fluids. In contrast, some stations of TA25 and TA26 submarine volcanoes were strongly affected by hydrothermal fluids. However, these two submarine volcanoes showed different features in element concentration in the sediments. Some stations of TA25 submarine volcano showed enrichment of Ni, Cu, Sn, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, Sb, W, Ba, Ta, Rb, Sr, and As, however, those of TA26 submarine volcano showed enrichment of Sn, Zn, Pb, Cd, Sb, Ba, Rb, and Sr. Stations which enriched trace elements were observed, enriched REEs were also observed. Average upper continental crust (UCC)-normalized REE patterns of the surface sediments generally showed low light REE (LREE) abundances and increased heavy REE (HREE) abundances. Eu enrichment was identified at several stations of TA25 and TA26 submarine volcanoes. In addition, enrichment of Ce was found at some stations of TA26 submarine volcano and these enrichment patterns were similar with hydrothermal fluid of near stations. Furthermore, TA25 and TA26 submarine volcanoes showed different enrichment characteristics of trace elements and REE. Trace elements were concentrated at TA25 submarine volcano. TA26 submarine volcano, on the other hand, observed highly enrichment of REE especially, Eu and Ce. As a result of the investigation, the characteristics and concentrations of REEs and trace elements in the surface sediments of each submarine volcano can be applied to identify hydrothermal alteration of sediments during exploration for hydrothermal deposits.

The Taebaegsan region and its vicinities mainly consist of Precambrian granitic gneisses and Cambrian meta-sedimentary rocks. And lots of leucocratic(alkali) granites smaller than the stocks are found here and there. Therefore the presence of leuco-granites is not properly described yet in the former studies. For the effective distinction of several granitic rocks, outcrop characteristics, mineral identification, and petro-chemical properties were studied. Some part of granitc gneisses could be classified into typical metamorphic rocks such as migmatites and banded gneisses. And some shows rather dark appearance with gray quartz and feldspars, and others two mica granites, leucocratic ones etc. But all of leucocratic granites of the region usually show bright milky white to beige color. Since they mainly consist of quartz, feldspars, muscovite, and small amounts of sericites, amphiboles, tourmaline and lepidolite. And all of alkali granites belong to the calc-alkalic, peraluminous and S-type in character. During magmatic differentiation of leucocratic granites, CaO and total Fe contents are clearly decreased than those of the older granitic rocks. On the other hand, magmatic evolution also had induced the greisenization and albitization which enriched the relative amounts of alkali elements such as and .

The artificial rain (pH 4.0, pH 5.6 and pH 6.85) and weathering simulation test are applied in dolomitic marble for the prediction of deterioration of the stone monuments constructed with carbonate rock by acid rain. pH of the applied rain all increase to about neutral pH after reaction of marble. The contents of and have increased more than twofold in two acid rain and deionized neutral rain after reaction of marble. The weight of marble is expected to decrease each test cycle by pH 4.0 rain. This weight reduction rate of marble is 1.4 and 3.1 times more in pH 5.6 and pH 6.85 rain respectively, and 3.7 times more in only artificial weathering test. The compressive strength of marble is expected to decrease 0.2468, 0.1791 and per test cycle with pH 4.0, pH 5.6 and pH 6.85 rain, respectively. These results mean that more acidic rain more enfeeble the strength of marble. Dolomite and small amount of calcite are precipitated in the rains after reaction of marble.

Ilmenite deposits are developed along the Precambrian intercumulated anorthosite body in Jikjeon-Ri, Bukcheon-Myeon, Hadong, Korea. Both detailed geological survey and drilling prospecting data for seven boreholes can be used to do resource estimation with GOCAD S/W. 3D modeling using geostatistics is applied to predict the shape and size of Ti ore bodies. As a result, 5 Ti ore veins occurred along N-S direction and average grade of Ti and ilmenite resources are calculated as 2.98 wt% Ti and 7,494,303 metric tons ilmenite ore reserves (Ti 223,330 t). This 3D modeling will be applied to the whole ilmenite deposits in Hadong-Sancheong area to predict the exact distribution and resources estimations of Ti ores.

Magnetite, a major constituent mineral of the Hongcheon carbonatite-phoscorite complex, was produced over three stages in each rock type and decreased in quantity toward the late stage. Electron microprobe analyses for magnetite revealed that Ti and V were detected in traces, but showed increasing tendency from early to late stage. On the contrary, Mg and Mn decreased distinctly, and it is the general differentiation trend of carbonatitic magma. Al also showed decreasing tendency in carbonatite and phoscorite, and Cr was mostly below detection limit except late phoscorite. In early stage, was largely replaced by and , and by in magnetite, but it has nearly pure composition in late stage. Tendency of increase in V and decrease in Mn toward late stage represents that magma differentiation progressed under the condition of decreasing oxygen fugacity. Low concentrations of Mg, Al, Cr and Ti, as well as the absence of olivine and phlogopite, suggest that the Hongcheon carbonatite-phoscorite complex was generated from depleted magma. Especially, lower concentrations of Mg in magnetite compared to other typical carbonatite-phoscorite complex, and abundant occurrence of Fe-carbonate minerals and quartz in late stage, suggest that magma differentiation of the Hongcheon carbonatite-phoscorite proceeded to the latest stage.